The present invention relates to a vehicle collision decision apparatus for operating an occupant-protecting device such as an air bag apparatus or a seat belt pre-tensioning device by detecting a collision of a vehicle.
Conventionally, a vehicle collision decision apparatus is known which is provided with, for example, an acceleration sensor for measuring an acceleration (or deceleration) which is applied to a vehicle so as to detect changes in the acceleration of the vehicle by using an acceleration signal which is output from an acceleration sensor and activates an occupant-protecting apparatus such as an air bag apparatus or a seat belt pre-tensioner under conditions that a primary integration or a secondary integration of the acceleration signal over time is performed and these integrated values exceed a predetermined threshold.
In the case in which it is determined by such a vehicle collision decision apparatus that there has been a collision, for example, when there is a vehicle collision, an air bag apparatus protects occupants in the vehicle by activating an ignition device so as to deploy the air bag between a vehicle interior and the occupants. Thus, the occupants in the vehicle are securely protected from a secondary collision. Therefore, it is necessary to determine the occurrence of the vehicle collision so as to reliably protect the occupants in the vehicle by deploying the air bag appropriately.
It is preferable that an air bag apparatus be able to determine whether or not the air bag is deployed according to the degree of impact in the secondary collision for the occupant in the vehicle with the vehicle interior. However, in a conventional vehicle collision decision apparatus, an occupant-protecting apparatus such as an air bag apparatus starts operation depending on behavioral characteristics of the vehicle in which a calculated value which is calculated from the measured acceleration signal by using a predetermined method exceeds a predetermined threshold regardless of factors such as deceleration of the vehicle and positions of the occupants in the vehicle when there is a collision. In such a case, there was a problem in which the air bag cannot be deployed appropriately because the occupant-protecting apparatus cannot follow the changes in the vehicle chassis caused by the collision and the occupant""s position; therefore, it was not possible to determine whether or not the air bag or the like should be deployed.
The present invention was made in consideration of the above problems. An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle collision decision apparatus which can decide the condition of collision quickly by monitoring the moving characteristics of the occupants in the car and collapse of the vehicle chassis.
In order to solve the problems mentioned above, in a first aspect of the present invention, a vehicle collision decision apparatus comprises an acceleration measuring device which measures an acceleration of a vehicle and generates an acceleration signal, an occupant movement characteristics calculating device which calculates occupant movement characteristics according to an acceleration signal from the acceleration measuring device, an occupant movement characteristics determining device which decides whether or not the occupant movement characteristics exceed a predetermined movement characteristics determining threshold, a frequency analyzing device which decomposes waveforms of the acceleration signal into frequency components, a frequency component determining threshold setting device which sets a predetermined frequency component determining threshold for the frequency components according to results by the occupant movement characteristics determining device, a frequency component determining device which determines whether or not the frequency components exceed the frequency component determining threshold, and a control signal generating device which generates a control signal for controlling an occupant-protecting apparatus according to results from the frequency component determining device.
In the vehicle collision decision apparatus having the above structures, it is possible to analyze and determine whether or not the occupant-protecting apparatus should be activated in a collision by monitoring moving characteristics of the occupants which is calculated by the occupant moving characteristics calculating device and the damage to the vehicle chassis according to a frequency component for the acceleration by the frequency component determining device.
In a second aspect of the present invention, a vehicle collision decision apparatus comprises, an acceleration measuring device which measures an acceleration of a vehicle and generates an acceleration signal,an occupant movement characteristics calculating device which calculates occupant movement characteristics according to an acceleration signal from the acceleration measuring device, an occupant movement characteristics determining device which determines whether or not the occupant movement characteristics exceed a predetermined movement characteristics determining threshold, an acceleration change calculating device which calculates changes in the acceleration signal, an acceleration change determining device which determines whether or not the changes in the acceleration signal exceed a predetermined acceleration determining threshold, and a control signal generating device which generates a control signal for controlling an occupant-protecting apparatus according to results determined by the occupant movement characteristics determining device and the acceleration change determining device.
In the vehicle collision decision apparatus having the above structures, it is possible to analyze and determine whether or not the occupant-protecting apparatus should be activated in a collision by monitoring moving characteristics of the occupants which are calculated by the occupant moving characteristics calculating device and determining whether or not the collision continues according to the acceleration which is determined by the acceleration change determining device.
In a third aspect of the present invention, a vehicle collision decision apparatus comprises an acceleration measuring device which measures an acceleration of a vehicle and generates an acceleration signal, an occupant movement characteristics calculating device which calculates occupant movement characteristics according to an acceleration signal from the acceleration measuring device, an occupant movement characteristics determining device which determines whether or not the occupant movement characteristics exceed a predetermined movement characteristics determining threshold, an acceleration change calculating device which calculates changes in the acceleration signal, an acceleration change determining device which determines whether or not the changes in the acceleration signal exceed the predetermined acceleration determining threshold, a frequency component analyzing device which decomposes a waveform of the acceleration signal into a frequency component, a frequency component determining threshold setting device which sets a predetermined frequency component determining threshold for the frequency component according to results by the occupant movement characteristics determining device and the acceleration change determining device, a frequency component determining device which determines whether or not the frequency component exceeds the frequency component determining threshold, and a control signal generating device which generates a control signal for controlling an occupant-protecting apparatus according to results determined by the frequency component determining device.
In the vehicle collision decision apparatus having tile above structures, it is possible to analyze and determine whether or not the occupant-protecting apparatus should be activated in a collision by monitoring moving characteristics of the occupants which are calculated by the occupant moving characteristics calculating device and determining whether or not the collision continues according to the acceleration which is determined by the acceleration change determining device, and furthermore determining by the frequency component determining device according to the frequency component whether or not the chassis of the vehicle has broken.
In a fourth aspect of the present invention, in a vehicle collision decision apparatus, the occupant movement characteristics calculating device calculates a moving speed and a moving amount of the occupant, and the occupant movement characteristics determining device determines whether or not the moving speed of the occupant exceeds a predetermined moving speed determining threshold and the moving amount of the occupant exceeds a predetermined moving amount determining threshold.
In the vehicle collision decision apparatus having the above structures, it is possible to combine results of the moving speed and the moving distance of the occupant in the vehicle with the determining threshold by calculating and determining the moving speed and the moving distance of the occupant in the vehicle so as to determine whether or not the occupant protecting device should be activated in the vehicle collision.
In a fifth aspect of the present invention, a vehicle collision decision method comprises: an acceleration measuring step for measuring an acceleration of a vehicle and generating an acceleration signal, an occupant movement characteristics calculating step for calculating an occupant movement characteristics according to an acceleration signal from the acceleration measuring device, an occupant movement characteristics determining step for determining whether or not the occupant movement characteristics exceed a predetermined movement characteristics determining threshold, a frequency analyzing step for decomposing waveforms of the acceleration signal into frequency components, a frequency component determining threshold setting step for setting a predetermined frequency component determining threshold for a frequency component according to results obtained in the occupant movement characteristics determining step, a frequency component determining step for determining whether or not the frequency components exceed the frequency component determining threshold, and a control signal generating step for generating a control signal for controlling an occupant-protecting apparatus according to results obtained in the frequency component determining step.
In the vehicle collision decision method having the steps above, the same effect as that obtained in the first aspect can be realized.
In a sixth aspect of the present invention, a vehicle collision decision method comprises: an acceleration measuring step for measuring an acceleration of a vehicle and generating an acceleration signal, an occupant movement characteristics calculating step for calculating occupant movement characteristics according to an acceleration signal from the acceleration measuring step, an occupant movement characteristics determining step for determining whether or not the occupant movement characteristics exceed a predetermined movement characteristics determining threshold, an acceleration change calculating step for calculating changes in the acceleration signal, an acceleration change determining step for determining whether or not the changes in the acceleration signal exceed a predetermined acceleration determining threshold, a control signal generating step for generating a control signal for controlling an occupant-protecting apparatus according to results determined in the occupant movement characteristics determining step and the acceleration change determining step.
In the vehicle collision decision method having the steps above, the same effects as those obtained in the second aspect can be realized.
In a seventh aspect of the present invention, a vehicle collision decision method comprises: an acceleration measuring step for measuring an acceleration of a vehicle and generating an acceleration signal, an occupant movement characteristics calculating step for calculating occupant movement characteristics according to an acceleration signal from the acceleration measuring step, an occupant movement characteristics determining step for determining whether or not the occupant movement characteristics exceed a predetermined movement characteristics determining threshold, an acceleration change calculating step for calculating changes in the acceleration signal, an acceleration change determining step for determining whether or not the changes in the acceleration signal exceed a predetermined acceleration determining threshold, a frequency component analyzing step for decomposing a waveform of the acceleration signal into a frequency component, a frequency component determining threshold setting step for setting a predetermined frequency component determining threshold for the frequency component according to results obtained in the occupant movement characteristics determining step and the acceleration change determining step, a frequency component determining step for determining whether or not the frequency component exceeds the frequency component determining threshold, and a control signal generating step for generating a control signal for controlling an occupant-protecting apparatus according to results determined in the frequency component determining step.
In the vehicle collision decision method having the steps above, the same effects as those obtained in the third aspect can be realized.
In an eighth aspect of the present invention, in a vehicle collision decision method, a moving speed and a moving amount of the occupant are calculated in the occupant movement characteristics calculating step, and whether or not the moving speed of the occupant exceeds a predetermined moving speed determining threshold and whether or not the moving amount of the occupant exceeds a predetermined moving amount determining threshold are determined in the occupant movement characteristics determining step.
In the vehicle collision decision method having the steps above, the same effects as those obtained in the fourth aspect can be realized.
As explained above, by the vehicle collision decision apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention, it is possible to determine according to the moving characteristics of the occupant which is calculated in the occupant moving characteristics calculating device whether of not the occupant protecting device should be activated in a vehicle collision.
Therefore, there is an effect in that it is possible to activate an occupant protecting device such as an air bag device by an easy structure appropriately according to the moving characteristics (moving distance and moving speed) of the occupant.
By the vehicle collision decision apparatus according to the second aspect of the present invention having the above structures, it is possible to analyze and determine whether or not the occupant-protecting apparatus should be activated in a collision by monitoring moving characteristics of the occupants which are calculated by the occupant moving characteristics calculating device and, furthermore, determining by the frequency component determining device according to the frequency component whether or not the chassis of the vehicle is broken.
Therefore, there is an effect in that it is possible to start an occupant protecting device such as an air bag device by an easy structure appropriately according to the moving characteristics (moving distance and moving speed) of the occupant and degree of destruction of the vehicle.
By the vehicle collision determining apparatus according to the third aspect of the present invention having the above structures, it is possible to analyze and determine whether or riot the occupant-protecting apparatus should be activated in a collision by monitoring moving characteristics of the occupants which are calculated by the occupant moving characteristics calculating device and determining whether or not the collision continues according to the acceleration which is determined by the acceleration change determining device.
Therefore, there is an effect in that it is possible to activate an occupant protecting device such as an air bag device by an easy structure appropriately according to the moving characteristics (moving distance and moving speed) of the occupant and change in the acceleration in the vehicle.
By the vehicle collision decision apparatus according to the fourth aspect of the present invention having the above structures, it is possible to analyze and determine whether or not the occupant-protecting apparatus should be activated in a collision by monitoring moving characteristics of the occupants which are calculated by the occupant moving characteristics calculating device and determining whether or not the collision continues according to the acceleration which is determined by the acceleration change determining device and, furthermore, determining by the frequency component determining device according to the frequency component whether or not the chassis of the vehicle is broken.
Therefore, there is an effect in that it is possible to activate an occupant protecting device such as an air bag device by an easy structure appropriately according to the moving characteristics (moving distance and moving speed) of the occupant and the change of acceleration in the vehicle.
By the vehicle collision decision apparatus according to another aspect of the present invention, it is possible to combine the result in the moving speed and the moving distance of the occupant in the vehicle with the determining threshold by calculating and determining the moving speed and the moving distance of the occupant in the vehicle so as to determine whether or not the occupant protecting device should be activated in the vehicle collision.
Therefore, there is an effect in that it is possible to start an occupant-protecting device such an air bag device appropriately according to vehicle collisions which occur under various conditions.
By the vehicle collision decision method according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the same effects as those obtained in the first aspect can be realized.
By the vehicle collision decision method according to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the same effects as those obtained in the second aspect can be realized.
By the vehicle collision decision method according to the seventh aspect of the present invention, the same effects as those obtained in the third aspect can be realized.
By the vehicle collision decision method according to the eighth aspect of the present invention, the same effects as those obtained in the fourth aspect can be realized.